1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an adapter for an electrical wiring device.
2. Description of the Related Art
When modifying the wiring in an existing building, whether public, commercial or residential by adding a wiring device such as a switch, a receptacle or a combination of switches and receptacles, it is necessary to cut a hole in a wall of the building, install a box within the hole, attach the box to a vertical stud and install the wiring device or devices into the box. In new construction, the box is attached to a stud of an open wall and, thereafter, the wall, which may be sheet rock having an opening for access to the box, is placed over the studs. The conventional wall box has a pair of mounting ears for mounting the wiring devices to the box. After the wiring devices are connected to the various conductors which they will service, each is fastened with threaded fasteners, such as screws, to a pair of ears on the box. The process of connecting a wiring device to various conductors and then attaching the wiring device with the attached wires to the box is done for each wiring device located within the box.
Wiring devices in the same outlet box are aligned with each other, positioned parallel to each other and then spaced from each other by a distance dictated by the spacing between the openings or windows in a complementary wall plate. After the wiring devices are positioned relative to each other, the wall plate can be installed around the wiring devices. An existing electrical device or the wall plate may be changed to a newer or different device where the opening in the wall plate is larger than the wiring device. Thus what is needed is a device to close the gaps between the wiring device and the opening in the wall plate.